Surgeons are set to be better equipped to perform operations with the utilisation of augmented reality technology. A new development is helping them get access to technology that acts like X-ray vision. It combines digitally improved images with a surgical device microscope.
The technology, known as SyncAR, has been made possible through a partnership between LA-based healthcare technology company Surgical Theater and Medtronic, a medical devices brand based in Ireland.
Easier acces to all required information
Surgeons are generally required to stare at screens by looking upwards to gain access to data and improved visuals. These actions tend to disrupt the surgical process and make it longer. But the new system gives them easier access to all required information in a comprehensive form.
Moty Avisar, the co-founder and CEO, Surgical Theater, talked about the device and how its technology can help. He put things into perspective, saying that brain and several other surgeries are quite intricate and require time-specific actions. According to Avisar, the need of pulling away one’s head to check a display and going back to a microscope can be quite an ordeal.
Specifically for neurosurgeries
The technology was specifically created for neurosurgeries that are complex and demand the highest degrees of attention. This device features augmented and layered three-dimensional images made with the SyncAR technology from Surgical Theater. Every high-definition image showcases detailed visuals of the body parts that are undergoing an operation. The images are created with CT scans or MRIs of patients.
Tech
StealthStation S8
SyncAR images are put into the StealthStation S8 device from Medtronic, which is a navigation setup that comes with a screen and a microscope. The images have full coloured markings and 3D visual content that shows the vessels, arteries, nerves, and other body parts. Surgeons can rely on the technology as a guideline or a map for pointing out the key areas of their anatomy. This would help them to determine the best possible option to take care of an affected region and its immediate surroundings.
Benefits
Avisar has stated that the new technology is already displaying some benefits. According to him, it has shown that the technology enables surgeons to find the easiest method for performing tasks like tumour removal, and also look past the tumour into any underlying issues.
Avisar said that giving surgeons a view of the other side of a tumour enables them to view important vessels and nerves, which can then be avoided during the surgery.
Evaluated
The health body FDA has given its approval for the technology in the United States. It is currently being evaluated by tests conducted by surgeons and will make its way to healthcare institutions in Europe.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Thomas Steineke, who is also the chairman of the JFK University Medical Center’s Neuroscience Institute, New Jersey, is one of the professionals who is participating in the testing. According to him, the technology can help surgeons cut down the chances of human mistakes. It can raise the overall efficiency of surgeries and lead to better outcomes.